feature p61 S EE magazine magazine Wale s Wale s 05 Garth Hill, Gwaelod-y-Garth, South Glamorgan 06 Mawddach Estuary, Gwynedd l l l Distance 8km/5 miles Time 2½hrs Type Hill and valley l Distance 15½km/9½ miles l Time 5-6hrs l Type Coastal, mountain and valley 2 NAVIGATION 2 FITNESS NAVIGATION FITNESS LEVEL 2 LEVEL 2 2/3 LEVEL 2/3 2 LEVEL 2 plan your walk plan your walk Merthyr Tydfil Harlech SNOWDONIA l l Aberdarel Dolgellau l l GWYNEDD GARTH HILL MAWDDACH ESTUARY Bridgend l SOUTH CARDIFF l GLAMORGAN l Barry l Aberystwyth l Y M Where: Circular walk from Where: Linear walk from A L Taffs Well rail station, through Barmouth to Taicynhaeaf. A the village of Gwaelod-y- start/eND: Barmouth railway HY: P Garth and over Garth Hill. station (SH612158). start/eND: Taffs Well rail terraiN: Open mountain, station (ST124832). woodland and the occasional terraiN: Minor roads surfaced road. Some parts can PHOTOGRA become boggy and stones on and unsurfaced paths, with Easily accessible by public You can enjoy excellent views of The boundaries of this varied in the woods on the south estuary, woodland paths slippery if it’s waymarked stiles and some transport from central Cardiff, Garth Hill if you look to your R. walk are formed by the ore- looking down on disused railway been raining. steep or boggy sections. this short hill-walk makes a rich Rhinogydd hills on the lines and mossed-over slate Maps: OS Explorer 18 & 23; Maps: OS Explorer 151; perfect excursion for fleeing city- 2. Continue along the footpath and northern side of its estuary, quarries. Sheep and cattle Landranger 124. Landranger 171. dwellers, and visits the peak that turn R when you reach Main Road. above the Victorian seaside still graze the hills, however, GettiNG there: Regular GettiNG there: Regular inspired Christopher Monger’s Follow the pavement then turn R resort of Barmouth, and the river and agriculture’s victory over trains arrive at Barmouth trains from Cardiff take 20 novel The Englishman Who towards the village of Gwaelod-y- Mawddach to the south, with other short-lived industries ✆ Station (✆ 0845 6061 660, minutes ( 0845 6061 660, Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Garth (whose name means ‘foot of Cadair Idris (2,930ft/893m) rising is spelled out in the matrix of www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk). www.arrivatrainswales. Mountain. From the open access the Garth’ in Welsh). beyond it. The highest point drystone walls, so integral a part Reduced Sunday service. co.uk). land at the summit of Garth Hill, of the walk is reached within of rural North Wales. Buses X94 and 28 serve the eatiNG & DriNkiNG: there are 360-degree views that 3. Go straight ahead through the 4km/2½ miles of the start, at north and south sides of Gwaelod-y-Garth Inn reach right across the Bristol village and turn L just before the Bwlch y Llan (Church Pass), then 1. START Barmouth – a bastardised ✆ the estuary respectively, or ( 029 2081 0408, Channel to Devon on a clear Gwaelod-y-Garth Inn (ST115939). follows a gentle sloping descent English version of the original there’s Derek’s Taxis (✆ 01341 www.gwaelodinn.co.uk). day. Across the Taff Gorge, you Follow the road until you get to the to the valley floor, along the Welsh Abermawddach – started life 422409/07876 084523). sleepiNG: Gwaelod-y-Garth can make out Castell Coch, the hairpin bend, then turn R up a mud ‘carriage roads’ that once linked as a fishing village but became eatiNG & DriNkiNG: Inn (see above); Cayo Arms, Millennium Stadium and Cardiff’s track behind a house. Ahead is a Barmouth, Dolgellau and Harlech. something of a tourist mecca for ✆ Arguably the best restaurants Cardiff ( 029 2039 1910, other landmarks; and northwards waymarked stile and metal gate. An industrial history is inscribed the Romantic poets. Wordsworth, in the vicinity are Dylanwad Da www.cardiffpubs.co.uk/Pub. are the Taff Ely wind farm and Continue following this route uphill in the very landscape at many Shelley, Darwin and Ruskin all in Dolgellau (✆ 01341 422870, php?Pub=Cayo). the Brecon Beacons. At your through the woodland, until you points along the way: fenced- stayed here – the latter attempted Visitor iNforMatioN: www.dylanwad.co.uk) or feet are Bronze Age burial reach Lan Farm (ST112846). off gold mines, spent veins of to create an experimental socialist Pontypridd Museum & TIC Bwyty Mawddach in Llanelltyd cairns, which are all Scheduled manganese and quartz deposits; commune for the poor in the stone (✆ 01443 490748, (✆ 01341 424020, www. Ancient Monuments. 4. At the far edge of the farm’s stones underfoot have been worn cottages of the old town, among www.visitwales.com). mawddach.com). For drink, yard is a wooden post, directing smooth by the passage of mine whose steep streets the walk starts. GuiDebooks: Capital Walks reward yourself with a pint of 1. START Exit Taffs Well rail station you to the footpath on the L side of wagons and the feet of the faithful, From Barmouth Railway station ▲ and The Capital Walk by Welsh ale at the George III in ▲ (ST124832) and cross the A4050 the hedge. This next section of the trekking to church. The mansions (SH612158) head for the High and the River Taff over a bridge. route can be quite boggy and Street and turn R. Take the ▼ ▼ of wealthy industrialists are visible t Ordnance Survey map Survey Ordnance Ordnance Survey map Survey Ordnance Continued... Penmaenpool (✆ 01341 422525, 5 www.georgethethird.co.uk), at the other end of the toll bridge ping © Crown copyright.AM34/08 ping ©Crown from Taicynhaeaf. 4 copyright.AM34/08 ping ©Crown Sleeping: There is a range 3 FINISH 4 of accommodation available in Barmouth and Dolgellau, but ideally placed for the 5 Mawddach Way are Coed Cae B&B in Taicynhaeaf (✆ 01341 2 430628/07909 996983, www.coedcae.co.uk) and Graig 6 Wen in Arthog near Dolgellau 1 3 (✆ 01341 250482, Map not to scale. 7 www.graigwen.co.uk). START Representation of ViSitor information: OS Landranger START MAP 124, 1:50,000 ✆ FINISH Barmouth TIC ( 01341 280787); www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk Dolgellau TIC (✆ 01341 422888, 8 1 www.discoverdolgellau.com). guidebookS: The Mawddach Way is available as a printed Steepness of walk 2 booklet or e-book from www.mawddachway.co.uk/ 300 mawddach-way-guide.html (£9.99/£4.99); Walk Barmouth & 200 the Mawddach Estuary by David 100 Berry (£4.95, Kittiwake Press, (m) Elevation Map not to scale. Representation of ISBN13 9781902302218). 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15.5 OS Explorer 151, loCal ramblerS area/ Total distance of walk (km) 1:25,000 3 group: Meirionnydd Ramblers www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk (✆ 01341 247693, www.ramblers. and onto the headland looking footpath sign on the R; skirt farm org.uk/areas_groups.htm). down over Harlech and Penrhyn buildings, turning L then R across a Llyˆn. Keep R, cross a small stream stream. Strike uphill toward a gate Steepness of walk and turn R off the track over Bwlch in the field corner, and down Continued... passage opposite St David’s Church, y Llan (SH621175). through the workings of the 300 following the steps up to the R into former Vigra goldmine. Cross Cardiff Ramblers, detailing the old town proper. Keep climbing 3. Follow the path L down the over the bridge, keeping the river countryside walks around 200 Cardiff, are free to download R and follow signs for the ‘mountain hillside, passing Bronze Age to your L, and walk until you hit a 100 walk’ out into open ground, with standing stones Cerrig Arthur road, following it for 250m, then from www.cardifframblers.org.uk; (m) Elevation panoramic views over the town. (SH631188). Overcoming your turn L onto a footpath, and L at Around Cardiff: Leisure Walks 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 disappointment at how small they the first fork. for All Ages (£6.99, Crimson Total distance of walk (km) 2. At a sign commemorating Dinas are, fork L on to a well-made track. Publishing, ISBN Oleu (SH615157), the first land At the crossroads a kilometre or so 5. An incline leads through fields 9780711730052). an open field, aiming slightly uphill (ST103835) and enjoy the views. donated to the National Trust, bear further along, glance L at the start and past fenced-off mineshafts. At loCal ramblerS area/ for the next stile. In the next field R, following drystone walls through of the winter ‘carriage road’ that the top, cross a stile to the L and group: Cardiff Ramblers aim for the brow of the hill then 7. For your descent, follow the a wooden gate and past the travellers of yore used to take to continue over the pass. A sign for (✆ 029 2075 2464, www. follow the R side of the stone wall Ridgeway Walk footpath, taking entrance to the Frenchman’s Grave Harlech, complete with wishing well Gell Fawr farm marks the start of a cardifframblers.org.uk); Tiger till you see a waymarked stile care on the steep sections. The (SH616157), reformer Auguste (SH637201), but turn R through downward climb to Cwm Mynach Bay Ramblers (✆ 029 2062 (ST104844). Turn L up the grassy route has a hairpin bend and the Guyard, who came to Barmouth fields to the valley floor, passing (Monks’ Valley). Keep dogs on a 8892, www.tigerbay road, through a rusty gate, along a view over the gorge below is seeking refuge from persecution.